Letter from the Editor

Editorial Reflections and Farewell ….

This issue of JASPR is my last as co-editor. Starting in August, JASPR will be in the capable hands of my current co-editor, Lori Jackson Norris and newly appointed co-editor, Miranda Grace.

As I step down from my appointment and reflect upon my term as co-editor, I feel so honored and appreciative of the wonderful opportunity to have served in this position. I was asked by the board of directors to assume the role of co-editor with Laura Screeney in 2003. For the past nine years, the editorial team and JASPR Committee has published JASPR four times a year — struggling to stay on schedule and often worrying if our members would find the articles and content of the journal to be informative and of interest. Despite these worries, each issue came out better than we anticipated and often with enthusiastic response from our members. Finishing this appointment is bittersweet and I find myself becoming a little nostalgic as I write this last column.

Many changes have occurred for JASPR since 2003. When I first began this appointment, we were publishing a quarterly newsletter that was primarily focused on highlighting ASPR news with a few informative articles. In 2007, our committee members and the board of directors elected to push the boundaries a little further and we moved to a journal format that focused more on providing quality, informative articles that focused on topics regarding physician recruitment and other related healthcare topics that we felt our members would find of interest. This past year took us into a new realm of publishing for JASPR as we expanded to an electronic-only edition. Since 2003, ASPR membership has doubled — and our audience has expanded accordingly. With the change to an electronic medium, we can now post links of the current electronic edition in many different venues including discussion groups on LinkedIn. This has expanded our readership to healthcare professionals beyond ASPR’s membership, bringing more recognition to our members and organization.

Many changes have occurred in healthcare since 2003 and we have tried to capture those changes and their impact with our members as they have arisen. In the early 2000s, the hospitalist movement was still relatively new to many of our members. Many articles were written and shared over the past decade that discussed the impact that the shifts of practice models within inpatient medicine and ambulatory medicine have had on physician practices as well as on physician recruitment. Other major changes and topics that we have highlighted in the past few years have included the continually growing physician shortage, the expansion of digital and electronic mediums and their impact on sourcing and physician recruitment, the economic downturn and its influence on physician recruitment, the increase in physician alignments and acquisitions, and most recently healthcare reform. Our goal has always been to stay on top of these healthcare trends and share with our members how these trends will impact each of us in our roles with our respective organizations.

Over these years, I also have had some personal transformations. I had two job moves during this time — which broadened my horizons and experiences in physician recruitment. I lost a friend, former co-worker and ASPR member to breast cancer, and saw the beautiful community of ASPR rally around and support Micki throughout her courageous battle. Lastly, I have seen the retirement of two of my closest mentors, Jerry Hess and Tim Skinner. Jerry retired a couple years ago, and as you will read in this issue, Tim is retiring this summer. Jerry and Tim were both very instrumental in the development and inception of ASPR as an organization. Both are past presidents of ASPR, have been JASPR Committee members, and have contributed greatly to JASPR (and its predecessor the ASPR newsletter). I cannot thank them enough for their contributions to ASPR as well as for being mentor, coach and friend all these years.

In closing, I want to personally thank Laura Screeney and Lori Jackson Norris for being such wonderful co-editors and friends. Putting each issue to bed can be a tiring and sometimes thankless task but it has been a pleasure and privilege to work side by side with each of these remarkable women who have volunteered their time to JASPR. We have been surrounded by a wonderful team of support from the Ewald staff and a phenomenal committee. We have had several new people join the JASPR Committee recently who have journalism degrees and backgrounds, bringing with them great ideas and energy. As I pass on the torch of co-editor duties to Miranda Grace and Lori Jackson Norris, I am excited about the future of JASPR. Both Lori and Miranda are committed to continuing the journalistic excellence that we have been known for at JASPR.

Lastly, thank you to the members for sharing articles, your ideas, leads and stories, and for encouraging us along the way. There is no doubt in my mind that our members care about JASPR — and for that I am extremely proud and grateful. It is a great time to be passing the torch on to others who are committed to moving JASPR forward. Of course, I will continue to be a JASPR committee member and will look forward to reading JASPR for many years to come!